Safety device at the run-in point of a circulating handrail

ABSTRACT

A safety device is disposed at a run-in region of a circulating handrail of a moving passage into a stationary wall. The safety device is made of a cover plate; an elastically deformable handrail run-in part configured as a bellows and connected to the cover plate; a rod-shaped element having a first end and a second end and being seated in a rear region of the handrail run-in part; an angled component having a first leg connected to a rear side of the handrail run-in part and a second leg adapted to receive the first end of the rod-shaped element; and a limit switch for stopping a movement of the moving passage upon being activated. The limit switch is disposed such that the rod-shaped element is effective for transmitting a deformation of the handrail run-in part onto the limit switch for activating the limit switch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a safety device at the run-in point of acirculating handrail of an escalator, a moving walkway, or a like movingpassage, into a stationary wall.

In the region of the run-in point of the circulating handrail,escalators and moving walkways have a safety device that has shown thatpersons riding on an escalator, particularly children, hold the handrailuntil their hand reaches the run-in point of the handrail into thestationary wall. In such a case it can occur that the fingers are pulledinto the gap located between the surface of the handrail and the run-inopening in the wall. Without certain safety measures, therefore, thedanger exists of serious injuries.

To avoid such injuries, in DE-PS 2,054,640 a safety device is proposedwhich uses a plurality of plates pivotably disposed at the run-in pointsand structured in the manner of flaps. If the handrail is also stillheld by a person in the region of the run-in point, the touching of theplates by the fingers leads to their pivoting, by means of which thecontact of a safety switch for shutting down the escalator is activated.To prevent mischievous spurious release of the safety device by means ofan undesired activation of the plates, it is further provided in theknown safety device to use respectively two pivotable plates disposedone behind the other with small spacing. In this instance the spacingbetween the handrail and the inside edge of the first plate isdimensioned to be so large that the fingers can extend into this gapwithout injury. Not until one of the two rear plates is touched is thecommon safety switch activated, and at the same time, the still-closedfirst plate is unlocked. This known safety device meets highrequirements with respect to safety and protection against spuriousreleases; however, it is expensively composed of a number of parts. Totransmit the pivoting movement of the plates onto the contact of thesafety switch, activation means provided with a run-on edge are requiredwhose adjustment must be undertaken exactly with respect to all of theplates, on the one hand, and with respect to the contact of the safetyswitch, on the other hand, in order to assure the desired function. Evenslight deviations from the provided settings can lead to the front platebeing unlocked too late, because of which injuries can occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The goal of the subject of the invention is the creation of a safetydevice for emergency stop of the drive when objects (fingers or thelike) enter into the handrail run-in, in which case shutdown is intendedto take place, even with a ruptured or slack handrail. The safety deviceshould be simply designed and easily accessible.

This goal is achieved by means of an elastically deformable handrailrun-in part in whose rear region a rod-shaped element which transmitsthe deformation of the handrail run-in part onto a limit switch isseated by means of connecting elements.

Advantageous modifications of the subject of the invention are to betaken from the dependent claims.

As a consequence of the elasticity of the handrail run-in in connectionwith the one rod which converts the buckling of the elastic part into alongitudinal movement, the downstream limit switch can already beactivated in time, so that a danger for people can be excluded to thefullest extent. The same applies for objects that intentionally orunintentionally enter the handrail run-in and can possibly lead todamage of escalator components. To provide a delayed reaction time ofthe safety device with simple means, the course of movement of the rodsis influenced by a mechanically prestressable prestressing device. Thismeans that the limit switch is first activated with the occurrence of aforce having a predetermined effect on the elastic region of thehandrail run-in. With this measure it can be ensured that the escalatoror the moving walkway is not subjected to emergency shutdown with eachpossible, unintended touching of the elastic handrail run-in.

The safety device is simply designed and easily accessible, and themechanical prestress of the prestress device can be set or adjustedwithout problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is represented in the drawing by way of an embodiment, anddescribed in the following manner.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the safety device in a planeperpendicular to the direction of movement of the handrail; and

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 in a planeparallel to the direction of movement of the handrail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The safety device 1 is provided in the region of an end plate 1 or coverplate 2 of an escalator wall not shown further. Only indicated is thebalustrade 3 in the form of a glass disk. A recess 4, which serves toreceive a handrail run-in part 5, is provided in the region of the endplate 2. In the region of the run-in point 6 for the handrail 7, onlyindicated here, the handrail run-in part 5 is provided with an elasticbellows 8, which is provided in its back region with an angled component9. By way of an intermediate plate 10 as a connecting element, a rod 12is connected to the free leg 11 of the component 9, which rod has in itsfree end region a switching slide 13, which is in turn configured with aconically-tapering recess 14 whose tip 15 lies on the plunger 16 of alimit switch 17. The rod 12 is disposed essentially vertically and isguided opposite the end plate 2 by means of further connecting elements18, which are in turn screwed to the end plate 2. The further connectingelements 18 include a guide 19, which is provided for receiving a rubberspring element 20. The rubber spring element 20 is encompassed by alateral 21 and a lower defining wall 22, and a cup-shaped plate 23 restson the rubber spring 20. A further rubber spring 24, whose one end facelies against the bottom 22 and whose free end face cooperates with aplate-shaped element 25 is provided beneath the bottom 22. The rod 12 isprovided with a thread, so that the rubber springs 20, 24 can betensioned counter to one another, i.e. against the bottom 22 of theguide 19, by means of corresponding nuts 26, 27 in order to be able toinfluence the motion inertia of the rod 12. The safety device 1 thusfirst reacts when a predetermined pressure acts on the bellows 8, sothat it is ensured that the emergency shutdown of the escalator is noteffected with each possibly undesired touching of the bellows 8. As aconsequence of the force acting on the bellows 8, the bellows is pressedtogether, and as a consequence of this pressing process a change in thelength of the rod 12 is caused, with corresponding triggering of thelimit switch.

What is claimed is:
 1. A safety device disposed at a run-in region of acirculating handrail of a moving passage into a stationary wall, thesafety device comprising:a cover plate; an elastically deformablehandrail run-in part configured as a bellows and connected to the coverplate; a rod-shaped element having a first end and a second end andbeing seated in a rear region of the handrail run-in part; an angledcomponent having a first leg connected to a rear side of the handrailrun-in part and a second leg adapted to receive the first end of therod-shaped element; and a limit switch for stopping a movement of themoving passage upon being activated, the limit switch being disposedsuch that the rod-shaped element is effective for transmitting adeformation of the handrail run-in part onto the limit switch foractivating the limit switch.
 2. The-safety device according to claim 1,wherein the handrail run-in part is connected to the first end of therod-shaped element by a connecting element.
 3. The safety deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the rod-shaped element is disposedessentially vertically and has a switching slide disposed at its secondend.
 4. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the rod-shapedelement is guided vertically.
 5. The safety device according to claim 2,wherein the rod-shaped element is guided opposite the cover plate byfurther connecting elements.
 6. The safety device according to claim 5,further comprising a prestressing device arranged in the region of thefurther connecting elements for influencing the motion inertia of therod-shaped element.
 7. The safety device according to claim 6, whereinthe prestressing device comprises a plurality of rubber springs whichencompass the rod-shaped element and which can be tensioned counter toone another in the axial direction and against the further connectingelements.
 8. The safety device according to claim 7, wherein theplurality of rubber springs includes a first rubber spring and a secondrubber spring, and wherein the further connecting elements include aguide encompassing the first rubber spring laterally and on a bottomregion of the first rubber spring.
 9. The safety device according toclaim 8, wherein the second rubber spring underlies the first rubberspring and is tensionable against a bottom region of the guide.
 10. Thesafety device according to claim 5, wherein the rod-shaped elementincludes a thread on at least a portion thereof, and wherein a fasteningof the rod-shaped element with respect to the further connectingelements is effected by a first set of screw nuts.
 11. The safety deviceaccording to claim 3, wherein the limit switch includes a plunger at oneend thereof, and wherein the switching slide includes a recess whichlies on the plunger of the limit switch.
 12. The safety device accordingto claim 10, wherein the prestressing device comprises a plurality ofrubber springs which encompass the rod-shaped element and which can betensioned counter to one another in the axial direction and against thefirst connecting elements by a second set of screw nuts which cooperatewith tensioning plates disposed at their free end faces.